Baylor at Texas Odds, Expert Pick & TV Info

It’s the regular-season finale for No. 11 Baylor and struggling Texas in Austin on Saturday. The Longhorns are tied for last in the Big 12 so this game means little. Baylor is third in the Big 12 but could finish second with a win and some help. The Bears will be NCAAB odds road favorites to complete the season sweep.

Baylor at Texas Odds, Expert Pick & TV Info

When: Saturday, March 4, 4 PM ET Where: Frank Erwin Center, Austin TV: ESPN Opening NCAAB Lines: Baylor favored by TBA

Why Bet On Baylor?

The Bears (24-6, 11-6) are tied for third in the Big 12 and a game behind Iowa State. Kansas is the regular-season champion. Baylor comes off a 71-62 win over No. 10 West Virginia. Trailing by eight with under nine minutes to play, the Bears reeled off nine unanswered points and closed the game on a 30-13 run to pull out a huge 71-62 victory. The Bears did it without starting point Manu Lecomte, who was out with a sprained ankle. After a quiet first half when he had just four points and four rebounds and was 1-of- 5 from the floor, junior forward Johnathan Motley had a monster second half. He had 19 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, going 5-for- 7 from the floor and 9-of- 9 from the line. The key for the Bears’ strong finish was going right at nine minutes without turning the ball over. Baylor had 18 turnovers, but 15 of those came in the last minute when the lead had ballooned to double digits. Baylor finished with a 43-23 edge in the rebounding battle, scoring 12 second-chance points off 14 offensive boards. Baylor is 46-8 when taking a second-half lead since 2015-16. Baylor has faced a 2nd-half deficit and come back to win in 11 games this season. Baylor is 8-2 when trailing at the half this season. BU has made at least one 3-point field goal in 830 consecutive games – the second-longest active streak in the Big 12 (Texas). The last time Baylor did not connect from 3-point range was Feb. 21, 1990 vs. Texas Tech. Baylor tied its 5th-most wins in a season in program history (24). Baylor reached the 11-win plateau in Big 12 play for the 4th time (12 in 2012, 11 in 2010 and 2015). Motley is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2017 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Trophy. Motley, a fourth-year junior from Houston, leads the Big 12 with 12 double-doubles and 9.7 rebounds per game, ranks third with 17.5 points per game, fifth with a .525 field goal percentage, 12th with a .730 free throw percentage and 12th with 1.1 blocks per game.

Why Bet On Texas?

Freshman guard Jacob Young registered a career-high 14 points on 4-of- 9 shooting from beyond the arc, but the Longhorns dropped their final true road game of the season to Texas Tech, 67-57, on Wednesday night. They now end the season 0-14 away from the Frank Erwin Center and reach 20 losses for the first time since the 1983-84 season under head coach Tom Penders. Senior forward Shaquille Cleare led the Longhorns with a team-high 15 points on 7-of- 8 shooting from the field. Freshman forward Jarrett Allen recorded another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Texas (10-20, 4-13 Big 12) logged 17 assists on 23 made field goals on the night. Texas Tech converted 15-of- 19 (.789) free throws, while the Longhorns hit 6-of- 12 from the line. UT had 17 assists against just 9 turnovers on the night. The 17 assists were the most for the Longhorns since they had 17 at TCU (Feb. 4). Allen had a double-double for the 12th time this season (30 games), including the eighth time in Big 12 play (17 games). He reached double figures in scoring for the 23rd time this season and 16th time in Big 12 play (17 games). He also reached double figures in rebounds for the 13th time this year. UT had 14 of its first 29 contests decided by 5 points or less. The Longhorns are 5-9 this season in games decided by 5 points or less. Texas is 3-7 this year in games decided by 3 points or less. Seven of UT’s eight home league contests have been decided by 4 points or less. Texas lost at Baylor 74-64 on Jan. 17. The Bears’ Motley had career highs of 32 points and 20 rebounds. Texas led by as many as eight points early, but Baylor closed the first half on a 16-4 run to lead by eight at the half.

Baylor at Texas Expert Pick:Baylor Bears

The Bears won’t lose their home finale. Give the points.